Troubling Paint Discovery with AK Interactive

[@sithompson74]

I've this exact AK paint set and it's totally wrong, along with the DAK modelling book sold along side it. My first and only AK products. Huge fail that has totally destroyed any confidence I have in their paints and reference material

[@rossomachin]

my friend just bought that set and yes - in 2020 they still sell these colors as yours

[@MF-kv8cn]

Ak doesn't sell these packages anymore, on their site it's ll 3rd gen stuff. Retailers still probably have left overstock and sell the old crap to recoup their funds. The 3rd gen is awesome. have you tried the 3rd gen paints. They dry matt, especially the new Figure line of 40 paints. They're all consistent where the darks and lights are equal not like vallejo where the dark colors are thick like nutella and the light colors are runny like Fanta soda. Also they don't separate, whereas if vallejo's are left to sit for a while they form a discolouration line on the edge of the bottle. Also when thinned with water they don't go glossy. I haven't tried this but they claim they dont need a varnish coat when oils/enamels are used on their paint and cleaned with mineral spirits. I read an article on michigan toy soldier and they confirmed this usage of the 3rd generation paints.

[@rossomachin]

@@MF-kv8cn I’ve tried these 3rd generation and yes - they are good. But anyway my choice is Mission Models. These paints just awesome for airbrush

[@MF-kv8cn]

@@rossomachin acrylics like AK, Vallejo, Citadel (games workshop), scale75 are not really meant for airbrush, airbrush are more the Tamiya's, Mr Hobby, AK real color, your Mission Models, etc. acrylics are more for brush painting but they can still be airbrushed, just like the latter brands i mentioned can be brush painted when used with the company specific retarder but are more meant for airbrush. but the AK 3rd gen paints are really a whole new formula. and the dude who did the test is out to lunch. at 43:00 he shakes three bottles, says two are dry and the last one is good. They all equally shook the sambaed sounded the same, theres no way to tell how much dry paint is in the bottle. The dude just probably didn't close the lids right and left them on their sides in the box like the reds.

[@rossomachin]

@@MF-kv8cn No, Mission models paints are not equal to AK, Vallejo etc . It is premium quality brand, a way better then before mentioned brands. I know what I am talking about because I’ve tried many brands before: Vallejo, AK and AK 3rd, Hataka, Zvezda, Ammo Mig, Zip Maket, ARMpnt, Citadel, Kimera etc. They are the same more or less. Mission models paints have unique features like very small pigments, different mixing proportion “paint/thinner”, polyurethane additive, and they are not good for brushing but nearly perfect for airbrushing (99% of Tamiya) without any clogging on a tip of the needle

[@MF-kv8cn]

@@rossomachin i never said mission paints are equal to vallejo, ak or citadel. where did i say this? lol i said this " acrylics like AK, Vallejo, Citadel (games workshop), scale75 are not really meant for airbrush, airbrush are more the Tamiya's, Mr Hobby, AK real color, your Mission Models, etc. i copied and pasted my previous statement. i just said acrylics are meant for brushes whereas solvent based paints are meant for airbrush. I've never seen anybody paint a figure with Mission models. Hence why i said the dude who made the initial video about the AK paint sets he got for model tanks, planes etc..got the wrong paints for painting those models. Not saying you can't use acrylics for painting tanks or cars, but doctrine stipulates solvent based products.

[@ScaleModelKitReview]

Color chart for reference www.cybermodeler.com/armor/pzkpfw3/pzkpfw3_profile01.shtml

[@garryg69]

Thank you for sharing. Had the same problem. Turned to tamiya paints to mix to a similar colour

[@lasautin]

I have the same problem, kinda. I recently bought Iraq & Afghanistan color set from AK that contains "US modern vehicles" color AK122. Then i separately bought an extra bottle of the same color, also labelled AK122. Completely different colors! The separate bottle is much darker and closer to the real one i think. Disappointing to say the least...

[@TacticalJackalope]

I could not agree more

[@Zaelesis]

I just purchased some AK paints to try them out for the first time and im not sure if its the pack i bought or if they are all like this. Are AK paints normally so thin? The ones i bought seem very watery and separate very easily.

[@reelmesh]

Thanks for this very important information mate! That is indeed a serious mistake, I have a few of their modulation sets and they are fine, but what you have there is another story altogether. I have that same Cremeweiss color and it's nowhere near what it should be!

[@TacticalJackalope]

Thanks Carlos. I really dislike being negative in a video but I do not have an endless supply of funds for my hobby. Stuff like this is unnecssary.

[@reelmesh]

Indeed they should refund you, I agree I also run a very tight ship in that regard and to waste said fund in this manner is so disappointing! I had thought about getting those to complete my range.... Not anymore. :(

[@reelmesh]

Oh and you are not being negative, your point is well made and crystal clear, modellers should know about these things!

[@xbluexastrayx]

Jackalope, I wish I'd found your video sooner--I nearly ruined a 1/56 hanomag I was painting up for my Bolt Action D.A.K. army. That 8020 color is waaaay off, not to mention, the paint quality was far below what I was expecting from AK. I tried adjusting psi and even tried giving it a wash to even out the tone. Ended up doing much the same as you, and digging out a bottle of Vallejo model air 686 "Desert Tan" to rescue the kit.

[@TacticalJackalope]

NO worries I am glad you caught it in time.

[@rogernilson3986]

Hey man, Roger here I'm a new subscriber. I really enjoyed this video in particular. Everyone bitches and complains about Tamiya color inaccuracies etc. So many "Spanish school" paint manufacturers are completely out to lunch as far as color accuracy. And we spend good money supporting these guys. What do we do??

[@TacticalJackalope]

Roger Nilson That is a good question. I presume that Mr. Fernando Vallejo(owner of AK) has seen this video by now and that they have corrected their error but I have not purchased this set again to determine this. I do know that Mig under his Ammo brand does have the correct color. Lifecolor paints are from Italy but they are very difficult to find the right thinning ration IMO I have not had much luck. I have for the most part made the transition to Tamiya Color because of their versatility in thinning ratios and because of their excellent coverage characteristics.

[@rogernilson3986]

Me too. I love Vallejo but the curing times suck and if it's too humid it will peel off when masked. Tamiya is bomb proof and I like mixing it.

[@Ebergerud]

+Roger Nilson There are a megaton of military colors in Vallejo, especially if you use Model Color which I find airbrushes wonderfully if you get the hang of it. MA is fine too, a little easier to airbrush, but isn't as good for hand brushing which I find very common especially when doing either ships or armor.

[@Ebergerud]

Yes Tamiya is very forgiving at low PSI and highly thinned. I can see why it has fans. (Hope the fans all use Tamiya or Gunze lacquer thinner with it.) But as Mig has often pointed out, Tamiya is a lacquer paint (look at the warnings on the label) and is very poor at hand brushing. I find water based acrylics like Vallejo or LifeColor so easy to use - no odor, cleans easy, that I only use Tamiya for specific jobs. And if you're worried about realistic colors, I would not rate Tamiya all that high.

[@Nobleshield]

See this is my issue with some of these colors. Looking online you see RAL 8020 as *BOTH* Braun and Gelbbraun, and both show slightly different colors, darker brownish khaki (almost like Dunkelgelb but more brown than yellow) or the light tan you showed here. Well, which is it? The same designation shouldn't have two totally different names, could it? Similar to how RAL 7027 is referred to as both Grau and Grungrau.

[@schweinhund227]

Weird! Didn't happened to my yet! I hope it was an manufacturing error?

[@balazsandrasfekete7121]

I've heard that AK lightens intentionally their colors. It's something with an object painted with a certain color seems darker on a smaller one - I don't really know the actual science behind this, it was on their pamphlet. The factor which they use to lighten the colors is called alpha-factor, if it's not a linear transformation then two different colors lightened with their own alpha-factor may result in a pretty much the same color. But yes, this mis-labeling is a very annoying problem.

[@TacticalJackalope]

I am aware of what is known as "Scale effect" personally I don't agree with it but that is another conversation. This is not the case with these paints they are simply wrong. Please note however that this video is now 2 years old and they have corrected it. I mostly use Tamiya paint at this point.

[@georgepap3109]

Really good job there mate! Very useful video!

[@DerAngriff]

I'm just getting into modelling and recently ordered an AK Interactive Luftwaffe 2 (AK-2020) set. Do you know if the colour inconsistency is an anomaly confined to that DAK set or do you know if there is a wider issue? Are Vallejo paints still good to go? Being new to modelling, I don't want to spend money on costly paints that aren't representing true colour values. I don't have sufficient colour theory knowledge to mix correct colours.

[@TacticalJackalope]

DerAngriff To my knowledge this was and is the only product that had accuracy issues. AK recently went through a paint formulation change it is a superb product. I hope everything works out for you!

[@hantinos]

Did you solve this problem with them lately? I have the set also and yesterday I have starteed with the Tiger I and ended quickly, because the color do not match. Do you know, if the separate color is also wrong or the problem is only in the set?

[@taudesign7956]

Scale effect is real but less of a factor with lighter colors and larger scales.

[@cesarignjas]

Hi i bought their set of paints for USAF that are the navy colors, and their Light ghost gray looks very light compared with other paints and pictures, also the Dark ghost gray looks a bit too dark, the result is the contrast between them is definitly wrong, the vallejo equivalents are much better match, even revell call outs in the manuals are quite convincing, but AK match on this colors are desapointing, and the are simply THE MOST INPORTANT colors of the navy! , their radome tan looks spotless, but they are not the main colors used in the manority of time.... so to use them I will assume them as a "modulation" help for my vallejo colors, as they seems to work in the same way

[@mistrimeat]

Mine dried up in the bottle before I could even use it. :(

[@HamilkarBarkasScaleModelling]

normally i would not say thats a big issue which kind of sand yellow is the right one (an old childish topic of agrument amoung tank model builders) but this time its certainly not okay! a glossy creme white colour can´t be right. i definately understand your anger about it. lifecolor is better anyway :)

[@TacticalJackalope]

Absolutely I agree Michael! Lifecolor paints go down so well and I love their opacity. They are a little tricky getting them thinned though.

[@mariocueva8700]

This is an old video but even in 2020 I’ve come across a few AK products where the colours are the same but marketed as different things.

[@DarthMayers]

Try MRP colors they seem to be spot on! I bought MRP's Yellow Brown RAL 8020. looks great with just the right amount of satin not flat.

[@Super0352]

I noticed the exact same thing recently. The rest of the colors are right but that color should just be discarded. It in no way matched RAL 8020.

[@TacticalJackalope]

Leigh Cole I made this video almost a year ago and I know Fernando Vallejo has watched it yet his company still refuses to anything about it.

[@TarHeelBrit]

Thanks for the info. I'm looking into replacing all my paints after getting lost during a move so this is very helpful.

[@TacticalJackalope]

+TarHeelBrit You are very welcome.

[@reconmodelsvaughn469]

I mix most of my colors I don't go by the bottle colors but .i use lots of Ak paint and Mig paints and never had a Complaint if it's to light for you darken it .I use light colors to make up for the weathering so you don't make it to dark. But I can assure you Vallejo has nothing to do with AK or mig paints the bottle is very Common in the industry so a lot of people think the bottles the same must come from the same company that's not the fact.i have work in the Industry for over 35 years

[@TacticalJackalope]

There are only 2 OEM's for acrylic paint in Spain so yeah the odds are Vallejo makes one or both. Thanks for watching btw...you're commenting on 5 year old video so you might want to consider how relevant your point is...just sayin'.

[@reconmodelsvaughn469]

@@TacticalJackalope I was sent this today I didn't look at the date sorry .. but if you still have a problem with ak paints I can give you some phone numbers you can call .but There is more than 2 paint factories in Spain .I have been to 4 different ones myself with the Beginning stage of a American model paint brand. BUT Spain has the largest manufacturer and distributors for Art and the hobby industry. I sent a Month doing research and traveling all over Spain for that US model paints Company and another private company that is coming soon that I have been working on .just about any one can have paint made. Everyone thinks because the bottles are the same that they're made from the same factory's no that is not the case . All the bottles are made from a total different factory you can get any sizes you want made.i mix all my paints and I By the bottles by the thousands. Modeling is my full time job 12 to 15 hours a day it's my passion but the thing is everyone has gotten The wrong information about AK and Mig , Vallejo products The drama between all the companies it's really becoming out of hand with the wrong information. I do enjoy your work and Videos.

[@TacticalJackalope]

Goodness I moved on ages ago. I don't buy AK products because Fernando burned a very good friend of mine. I'm strictly Japanese products now. Although I've tried the Mission stuff and they seem pretty good.

[@reconmodelsvaughn469]

@@TacticalJackalope can I ask how he Burned your friend. I know him pretty well never had a problem with him one bit at all. If not it's no big deal like I said enjoy watching your videos

[@TacticalJackalope]

@@reconmodelsvaughn469 You can ask. It's been a number of years ago and the individual in question would not want it known publicly. Suffice it to say I don't approve of all of Mr. Vallejo's business decisions. I have nothing against the man personally but because of what happened I choose not to buy their products because I support my friend.

[@Ebergerud]

I've used Vallejo MC and MA loyally for over two years. AK paints may look the same but their quality is not the same. I've found spoiled bottles in new sets and find that in general AK paints lay down more coarsely than any Vallejo. Could have been bad luck, but I don't think so. They don't even really smell the same. Bought their bottles from the same supplier though.

[@TacticalJackalope]

+Eric Bergerud At the time I made this video more than 18 months ago I would have agreed with you. However, since Mig's split from AK and their transition to their new paint supplier I would have repsectfuly disagree. AK's "new" formula is superb doesn't clog the tip as fast and has wonderful opacity. That being said I have become mostly a Tamiya Color user now thinned with their Lacquer thinner.

[@Ebergerud]

I remember a few years back that Mig J claimed he was sick of the business end of making DVDs etc and was going to quit the business. Guess not. It's really kind of hard to keep up with who is making the best paints and I don't doubt that you're right. I have so many bottles of paints that I feel silly buying more. They're less than $3 each right? But...I have stumbled into a new brand that I think is exceptional. I've long been using Golden Fluid acrylics on models - there was a learning curve with Airbrush Medium, GAC, Extenders and all kinds of gels. (A lot is for gap filling or making dios. Learning how to airbrush Golden has made Vallejo Model Color a snap with an AB.) Golden is a very class outfit and pioneered commercial grade acrylic paints for artists I think in the late 50s. For several years they had an "airbrush" line of paints but they were really designed for fabrics or paper. That line has been discontinued and replaced with Golden "High Flow Acrylics." High Flow and standard Golden fluids are a little bit like Model Air and Model Color - same but one is thinned with flow aid etc. But in my book High airbrush better than Model Air and are the best water based paints I've encountered for low PSI work. They also carry the identical pigments as other Goldens which mean they hand brush splendidly. If you live near a Blick Art store you can try out a bottle. There are about forty colors so you have to do some color mixing, but I've always found that fun.

[@MF-kv8cn]

​@@TacticalJackalope have you tried the 3rd gen paints. They dry matt, especially the new Figure line of 40 paints. They're all consistent where the darks and lights are equal not like vallejo where the dark colors are thick like nutella and the light colors are runny like Fanta soda. Also they don't separate, whereas if vallejo's are left to sit for a while they form a discolouration line on the edge of the bottle. Also when thinned with water they don't go glossy. I haven't tried this but they claim they dont need a varnish coat when oils/enamels are used on their paint and cleaned with mineral spirits. I read an article on michigan toy soldier and they confirmed this usage of the 3rd generation paints.

[@midori6756]

Life color is awesome!

[@dukejohn2898]

no its pigments dry on the bottom of the bottle and useless s**t

[@opsimathics]

did you contact AK about this

[@shellyjones3284]

AK determined their color mixes under fluorescent lights and many are way off. But, you can buy Ral 8000 from 5 companies and get 5 interpretations.

[@danielganser7740]

Hi Andy, I have a question, how do I find out if a Ak paint has the new or the old fotmula?

[@TacticalJackalope]

I really don't know. Why don't you ask them?

[@russellgosselin3325]

Disappointing to hear about this, especially when you put some money down for these products. Never been in this situation, as I prefer to mix my own colors for particular shades. Refund?

[@mateoocariz9374]

I believe the color is correct , because I had the same set, and it works perfectly, i have been working with many different brands and oftenly happens. you should take in account the effect of scale reduction. With brush and aerobrush it works even better than the other brand you talk about... I am sure if you tell them your problem they will give you a fast answer because as I have heard they have an excellent customer service

[@TacticalJackalope]

Thank you very much for commenting and stopping by my channel. I never had an issues with how the paint works and yes sadly the color is wrong. It is "cremeweiss" and its gloss I have done the research and it is nowhere near the correct RAL color. As I stated in the video not only is the box labeled incorrectly the color is wrong as well. Thank you very much for taking the time to comment.

[@pbeccas]

AK is just Vallejo model colour bottle with a new label. They just rename the colours.

[@woody3590]

so they put the wrong paint in the bottle..take it back and get refund and make the manufactor aware...simple as that!!

[@TacticalJackalope]

I emailed them 9 YEARS AGO shortly after I made this video.

[@woody3590]

DAM WE COULD HAVE BEEN DEAD HAHAHA@@TacticalJackalope

[@a-gyimotfalvi-betyarok]

I do not buy shitty AK interactive paint anymore

[@TacticalJackalope]

Ok. Not sure why we are supposed to care?

[@vatromet1]

Life color is better

[@santospaulo68]

Lifecolor is beter